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Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement - 2020-2021

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Between:

The Government of Canada, represented by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as “Canada” or “Government of Canada”)

and

The Government of the Northwest Territories (hereinafter referred to as “the Northwest Territories” or “Government of the Northwest Territories”) as represented by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (hereinafter referred to as “territorial Minister”)

Referred to collectively as the “Parties”

Preamble

Whereas, Canada and the Northwest Territories agreed to a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Framework on June 12, 2017 which articulated their shared vision for early learning and child care and describes their approach to achieve this vision.

Whereas, the Department of Employment and Social Development Act authorizes the federal Minister to enter into agreements with the provinces and territories, for the purpose of facilitating the formulation, coordination and implementation of any program or policy within the mandate of the federal Minister.

Whereas, the Child Day Care Act authorizes the territorial Minister to enter in agreements with the Government of Canada under which Canada undertakes to provide funding toward costs incurred by the Government of the Northwest Territories for the provision of early learning and child care programs and services.

Whereas, Canada has, pursuant to its Policy on Transfer Payments, established a transfer payment program to provide funds to the provincial and territorial governments for the development and delivery of regulated early learning and child care programs and services for children under six years of age, with consideration for families more in need.

Whereas, Canada and the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council jointly released the co-developed Indigenous ELCC Framework in September 2018. This Framework establishes overarching principles and sets a vision for happy and safe Indigenous children and families, strong cultural identity, and a comprehensive and coordinated system that is anchored in self-determination, centered on children and grounded in culture. The Indigenous ELCC Framework can be used as a guide for all actors involved in Indigenous ELCC.

Whereas, the Northwest Territories invests in early learning and child care for Indigenous children.

Whereas, in accordance with section 3.0 of the Agreement signed in 2018, Canada and the Northwest Territories wish to renew the Agreement for a period of one year commencing April 1, 2020 and ending March 31, 2021, on the same terms and conditions as in the Agreement, save and except for amendments as provided herein.

Whereas, intentions to renew the Agreement were stated in writing and negotiations had commenced prior to the expiry of the Agreement; and

Whereas, Canada and the Northwest Territories will continue to work together towards a renewed Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Now therefore, Canada and the Northwest Territories agree as follows:

1.0 Vision for early learning and child care

1.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree that the long term vision, principles and objectives for early learning and child care, which are set out in the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework that is attached as Annex 1, will guide the investment of funds provided under this Agreement.

2.0 Early learning and child care objectives and areas of investment

2.1 Objectives

2.1.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories (NWT) agree that over the period of this Agreement, with financial support from Canada, the Northwest Territories will further build its early learning and child care system by addressing local, regional and system priorities that have an impact on families more in need by increasing the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity in early learning and child care, towards achieving the objectives of:

  1. supporting the delivery of high quality early learning and child care experiences. One of the most significant elements affecting a child’s early development, after the home environment and relationship with parents, is the provision of high quality early learning and child care. Quality early childhood education and care programs positively impact children’s healthy development; allow for parents to return to the workforce who would not otherwise be able to work; and reduce social, special education and health care costs. Many of the actions within this four-year ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT action plan focus on fostering the development of high quality, culturally-relevant, early learning and child care environments
  2. supporting culturally-relevant professional development and training for all staff working within licensed early childhood programs. Well-trained early childhood staff are able to provide developmentally appropriate programming and care that respects diversity and values all children and families. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) currently provides professional development and training support for staff working in licensed programs. This is a current area of focus for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE). There is a greater need for more focused and regular professional development and training opportunities offered by the Department of ECE. Through this Bilateral Agreement the GNWT will further support professional development and training opportunities for staff working within licensed early childhood programs and will include innovative methods, such as the use of technology and focused on-the-job training, to compensate for the high costs associated with travel between northern communities. This will also assist with participation of staff living in small communities, as it may be difficult for staff to leave their community to attend training without closing their program
  3. increasing the number of qualified early childhood development professionals in licensed programs. High quality early childhood programs require well-trained and knowledgeable educators. Capacity in the early childhood development workforce varies widely. Some early childhood development staff have a one-year early childhood development certificate, with many having no post-secondary education whatsoever. This ELCC Bilateral Agreement supports actions that will assist with expanding initiatives, such as a Scholarship for students currently enrolled in a post-secondary program in early childhood development and supporting Aurora College to expand and redesign their diploma program in early childhood development for residents of the NWT
  4. supporting access to early learning and child care opportunities within all communities in the NWT. The Territorial implementation of Junior Kindergarten during the 2017-2018 school year provides all parents of 4-year old children with an option to access high quality early learning program. Research shows that high quality early learning and child care programs positively impact children’s development and that these programs make the most difference for vulnerable children. Recognizing these benefits and the need to ensure all communities in the NWT can equitably benefit from high quality early learning and child care that meets the needs of their community, the Department of ECE is committed to supporting access to early learning and child care opportunities, with a particular focus on supporting programs that provide afterschool care for four and five-year old children, licensed early childhood programs that offer care for children from birth to three years old, as well as supporting the development of programs within communities that currently do not have access licensed early childhood programs

The Northwest Territories’ policy towards early learning and child care and approach to achieving these objectives is set out in their Action Plan attached as Annex 2.

2.2 Eligible areas of investment

2.2.1 The Northwest Territories agrees to prioritize funds provided by Canada under this Agreement in regulated early learning and child care programs and services for children under the age of six where:

  1. regulated programs and services are defined as those that meet standards that are established and/or monitored by provincial/territorial governments
  2. early learning and child care programs and services are defined as those supporting direct care and early learning for children in settings including, but not limited to, regulated child care centres, regulated family child care homes, early learning centres, preschools and nursery schools

2.2.2 In developing and delivering its early learning and child care programs and services, the Northwest Territories agrees to take into account the needs of official language minority communities in the Northwest Territories, as “official language” is understood under Canada’s Official Languages Act.

2.2.3 Types of investments include: capital and operating funding for regulated early learning and child care, fee subsidies, training, professional development and support for the early childhood workforce, quality assurance, parents information and referral, and administration costs incurred by the Northwest Territories in implementing and administering this Agreement.

2.2.4 Canada and the Northwest Territories also agree to promote, define, and deliver identifiable innovative approaches to enhance the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, and inclusivity of early learning and child care systems, with consideration for those more in need.

2.2.5 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree that funding will be targeted toward programs and activities, as described above, for children under the age of six, that will have an impact on families more in need such as lower-income families, Indigenous families, lone-parent families, families in underserved communities; those working non-standard hours; and/or families with children with varying abilities. Needs also include having limited or no access to early learning and child care programs and services in the children’s official language, as “official language” is understood under Canada’s Official Languages Act.

2.2.6 In 2020-2021, under extraordinary circumstances, the Northwest Territories may allocate funding under this agreement to support short-term measures to minimize the impacts of COVID-19 on the Northwest Territories’ ELCC system. These measures must be aligned with the principles of the Multilateral ELCC Framework and be used to sustain ELCC programs and services.

3.0 Period of agreement

3.1 This Agreement shall come into effect upon the last signature being affixed and will remain in effect until March 31, 2020, unless terminated in writing by Canada in accordance with the terms hereof in section 11. Funding provided under this Agreement, in accordance with section 4, will cover the period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020. Amendments to this agreement shall come into effect upon the last signature being affixed and will remain in effect until March 31, 2021, unless terminated in writing by Canada or the Northwest Territories in accordance with the terms hereof in section 11. Funding provided under this amended Agreement, in accordance with section 4, will cover the period from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

3.2 Renewal of bilateral agreements

3.2.1 Canada commits that the annual allocation for the period 2021-2022 to 2027-2028 will be no less than the annual allocation of this current agreement. Funding for future years will be provided upon the renewal of bilateral agreements conditional on Canada’s acceptance of new action plans and informed by the assessment of the results achieved under the action plan set out in Annex 2.

3.2.2 The renewal will provide the Northwest Territories and Canada the opportunity to review and course correct, if required, and realign new priorities in future bilateral agreements based on progress made to date.

4.0 Financial provisions

4.1 These contributions are in addition and not in lieu of those that Canada currently pays to the Northwest Territories through the Canada Social Transfer in order to support early childhood development and early learning and child care within the Northwest Territories.

4.2 Allocation to the Northwest Territories

4.2.1 Canada has designated the following maximum amounts to be transferred in total to all provinces and territories under this initiative with a fixed base rate of $2 million per year for each province and territory and the balance of the funding on a per capita basis for the period starting on April 1, 2017 and ending on March 31, 2021.

  1. $399,669,692 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1, 2017
  2. $399,347,695 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1, 2018
  3. $399,347,695 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1, 2019
  4. $399,347,694 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1, 2020

4.2.2 Subject to annual adjustment based on the formula described in section 4.2.3, the Northwest Territories’ estimated share of the amounts described in section 4.2.1 will be:

Fiscal year Estimated amount to be paid to the Northwest TerritoriesFootnote a
(subject to annual adjustment)
2017-2018 $2,453,191
2018-2019 $2,452,801
2019-2020 $2,452,801
2020-2021 $2,445,225

Canada commits that the annual allocation for the period 2021-2022 to 2027-2028 will be no less than the annual allocation of this current agreement under the conditions set in section 3.2.1.

4.2.3 The final yearly amount to be paid to the Northwest Territories will be calculated using the following formula F × K/L, where:

4.2.4 For the purposes of the formula in section 4.2.3, the population of the Northwest Territories for each Fiscal Year and the total population of all provinces and territories for that Fiscal Year are the respective populations as determined on the basis of the quarterly preliminary estimates of the respective populations on July 1 of that Fiscal Year released in September of that Fiscal Year by Statistics Canada.

4.3 In this Agreement, “Fiscal Year” means the period commencing on April 1 of any calendar year and terminating on March 31 of the immediately following calendar year.

4.4 Payment

4.4.1 Canada’s contribution will be paid in approximately equal semi annual installments as follows:

The total payment for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 will be paid within 30 days after the signatures from both parties are affixed to the Agreement

In 2018-2019, 2019-2020 the first installment will be paid on or about June 15 of each Fiscal Year

In 2020-2021, the first installment will be paid within 30 days after the signatures from both parties are affixed to the Agreement

The second installment will be paid on or about November 15 of each Fiscal Year

The amount of the first installment will be an amount equal to 50% of the notional amount of Canada’s maximum contribution to the Northwest Territories for the Fiscal Year, which will be calculated in the manner described in sections 4.2.3 and 4.2.4

The amount of the second installment will be an amount equal to the balance of Canada’s contribution to the Northwest Territories for the Fiscal Year based on the actual amount of the contribution determined under sections 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 for the Fiscal Year

Canada will notify the Northwest Territories at the beginning of the Fiscal Year of their notional amount. The notional amount will be based on the Statistics Canada quarterly preliminary population estimates on July 1 of the preceding Fiscal Year. Canada will notify the Northwest Territories of the actual amount of the second installment in each Fiscal Year as determined under the formula set out in section 4.2.3 as soon as possible following the release in September of each year of the Statistics Canada quarterly preliminary population estimates referred to in section 4.2.4

Canada shall withhold payment of its second installment for the Fiscal Year if the Northwest Territories has failed to provide its annual audited financial statement for the previous Fiscal Year in accordance with section 5.2.1 (d) until such time as the annual audited statement is provided

Payment of Canada’s funding for each Fiscal Year of this Agreement is subject to an annual appropriation by the Parliament of Canada for this purpose.

4.5 Maximum annual contribution in respect of administration costs

4.5.1 Canada’s contribution in respect of the Northwest Territories’ administration costs referred to in section 2.2.3 shall not exceed:

In Fiscal Years 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021 an amount up to 10% of the maximum amount payable for those Fiscal Years.

4.6 Carry Forward

4.6.1 At the request of the Northwest Territories and subject to the approval of Canada's Treasury Board, the Northwest Territories may retain and carry forward to Fiscal Year 2018-2019, an amount of up to 50% of the contribution paid to the Northwest Territories for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 under section 4.2.3 that is in excess of the amount of the eligible costs actually incurred by the Northwest Territories in that Fiscal Year, and may only use the amount carried forward to 2018-2019 for expenditures on eligible areas of investment under section 2.2 in the subsequent Fiscal Year.

4.6.2 For greater certainty, any amount carried forward to Fiscal year 2018-2019 under this section is supplementary to the maximum amount payable to the Northwest Territories under section 4.2.3 of this Agreement in 2018-2019.

4.6.3 The amount carried forward, pursuant to section 4.6.1 must be spent by March 31, 2019. The Northwest Territories is not entitled to retain any such carried forward amounts that remain unexpended after March 31, 2019, nor is it entitled to retain any balance of Canada's contribution for fiscal year 2018-2019 paid pursuant to section 4.2.3 that remains unexpended at the end of that fiscal year. Such amounts are to be repaid to Canada in accordance with section 4.7.

4.6.4 At the request of the Northwest Territories and subject to the approval of Canada's Treasury Board, the Northwest Territories may retain and carry forward to Fiscal Year 2019-2020, an amount of up to 10% of the contribution paid to the Northwest Territories for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 under section 4.2.3 that is in excess of the amount of the eligible costs actually incurred by the Northwest Territories in that Fiscal Year, and may only use the amount carried forward to 2019-2020 for expenditures on eligible areas of investment under section 2.2 in the subsequent Fiscal Year.

4.6.5 At the request of the Northwest Territories and subject to the approval of Canada’s Treasury Board, the Northwest Territories may retain and carry forward to Fiscal Year 2020-2021, an amount of up to 13% of the contribution paid to the Northwest Territories for 2019-2020 under section 4.2.3 that is in excess of the amount of eligible costs actually incurred by the Northwest Territories in that fiscal year, and may only use the amount carried forward to 2020-2021 for expenditures on eligible areas of investment under section 2.2 incurred in that fiscal year.

4.6.6 For greater certainty, any amount carried forward to Fiscal year 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 under this section is supplementary to the maximum amount payable to the Northwest Territories under section 4.2.3 of this Agreement in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.

4.6.7 The amount carried forward, pursuant to section 4.6.4 and 4.6.5 must be spent by March 31 of the subsequent Fiscal Year. The Northwest Territories is not entitled to retain any such carried forward amounts that remain unexpended after March 31 of the subsequent Fiscal Year, nor is it entitled to retain any balance of Canada's contribution for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 paid pursuant to section 4.2.3 that remains unexpended at the end of that Fiscal Year. Such amounts are to be repaid to Canada in accordance with section 4.7.

4.6.8 In the event that this amendment is approved after March 31, 2020, the parties agree that it is an extension of the April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020 agreement from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 and as such carry forward provisions still apply.

4.7 Repayment of overpayment

4.7.1 In the event payments made to the Northwest Territories exceed the amount to which the Northwest Territories is entitled under the Agreement, the amount of the excess is a debt due to Canada and shall be repaid to Canada upon receipt of notice to do so and within the period specified in the notice.

4.8 Use of funds

4.8.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree that funds provided under this Agreement will only be used by the Northwest Territories in accordance with the areas for investment outlined in section 2.2 of this Agreement.

4.8.2 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree that, within each Fiscal Year of the period of this Agreement, the Northwest Territories may move funding between the individual programming categories outlined in its Action Plan in Annex 2 to ensure the maximum use of funding. The Northwest Territories agrees to notify Canada in writing of any such change in funding allocation, including the rationale for the change.

5.0 Accountability

5.1 Action Plan

5.1.1 The Northwest Territories has completed and shared its Action Plan for the years 2017-2018 – 2019-2020 of federal funding with Canada as set out in the Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement 2017-2020. Upon signature of this Agreement by both Parties, the Northwest Territories will publicly release their Action Plan which:

  1. identifies specific priority areas for investment and objectives, within the Framework’s parameters, which builds upon the progress to date in the quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and/or inclusivity of their early learning and child care system, with consideration for those more in need
  2. describes how the Northwest Territories plans to address the early learning and child care needs of its children/families more in need, including families that have limited access to programs and services in their official language
  3. outlines their planned innovation spending
  4. demonstrates that federal investments will be incremental, and will not displace existing Northwest Territories early learning and child care spending, in particular spending dedicated to Indigenous populations
  5. outlines the indicators that will be reported on annually according to their planned investments
  6. identifies specific targets for each indicator that will be reported on annually for tracking progress in relation to the objectives of the Agreement
  7. identifies additional jurisdiction-specific indicators for tracking progress in relation to the objectives of the Agreement
  8. a description of consultation processes referred to in section 5.1.2, the type of groups consulted and annual priorities related to stakeholder feedback

5.1.2 The Northwest Territories will consult with parents, child care providers, experts, Indigenous peoples, official language minority communities and other interested Canadians as an important step in developing and revising its Action Plan.

5.1.3 The Northwest Territories submitted an updated Action Plan for fiscal year 2020-2021, as set out in Annex 2, updating their areas of investments and targets, as necessary, outlined in its Action Plan for Fiscal Years 2017-2018 to 2019-2020. This updated Action Plan may include changes to programming and program delivery provided that the more affordable child care spaces federally funded continue to be supported as much as possible, subject to extraordinary circumstances. Upon signature of this Agreement by both Parties, the updates to this Action Plan will be publicly released.

5.2 Reporting

5.2.1 The Northwest Territories agrees to provide all available baseline data on the agreed-to indicators within 30 calendar days following the signing of this Agreement.

5.2.2 Beginning in 2018-2019 and by no later than October 1 of the subsequent Fiscal Year during the Period of this Agreement, the Northwest Territories agrees to:

  1. report to the people of the Northwest Territories and to Canada on the results and expenditures of early learning and child care programs and services. The report shall include the number of children benefiting from subsidies, number of licensed early learning and child care spaces broken down by age of child and type of setting. The report shall show separately the results attributable to the funding provided by Canada under this Agreement
  2. continue to provide to Canada data required for the publication of the joint Federal-Provincial/Territorial report on Public Investments in Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada
  3. provide to Canada an Annual Report in the format and manner decided jointly by Canada and the Northwest Territories. The report shall show separately the results attributable to the funding provided by Canada under this Agreement and shall include:
    1. brief description of the activities, expenditures and results of the Canada-Northwest Territories Early Learning and Child Care Agreement as set out in Annex 2
    2. results achieved according to the indicators and targets referred to in Annex 2
    3. impact on families more in need, including families that have limited access to programs and services in their official language referred to in Annex 2
    4. results achieved on innovation referred to in Annex 2
    5. description of consultation processes, the type of groups consulted and annual priorities related to stakeholder feedback referred to in Annex 2; and
    6. any additional results of evaluation activities undertaken in the Fiscal Year, as available
  4. Provide to Canada an audited financial statement of revenues received from Canada under this Agreement during the Fiscal Year:
    1. the revenue section of the statement shall show the amount received from Canada under this Agreement during the Fiscal Year
    2. the total amount of funding used for early learning and child care programs and services under section 2.2
    3. the administration costs incurred by the Northwest Territories in developing and administering ELCC programs under section 2.2.3
    4. if applicable, the amount of any amount carried forward by the Northwest Territories under section 4.6; and
    5. if applicable, the amount of any surplus funds that are to be repaid to Canada under section 4.7

The financial statement shall be prepared in accordance with Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and the audit shall be performed by the Northwest Territories Auditor General or his/her delegate, or by an independent public accounting firm registered under the laws of the Northwest Territories and shall be conducted in accordance with Canadian Generally Accepted Auditing Standards.

5.2.3 Canada, with prior notice to the Northwest Territories, may incorporate all or any part or parts of the said report into any public report that Canada may prepare for its own purposes, including any reports to the Parliament of Canada or reports that may be made public.

5.3 Audit

5.3.1 The Northwest Territories will ensure that expenditure information presented in the annual report is, in accordance with the Northwest Territories’ standard accounting practices, complete and accurate.

5.4 Evaluation

5.4.1 As per established policies and processes with respect to program effectiveness, the Northwest Territories will evaluate programs and services receiving funds provided under this Agreement and make public the results of any such evaluations.

6.0 Long-term collaboration

6.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree to share and release data as available, and knowledge, research and information on effective and innovative practices in early learning and child care, to further support the development of and reporting on quality and outcomes. Canada and the Northwest Territories agree to work together, and with stakeholders, towards the development of common quality and outcome measures that could be included in bilateral agreements in the future that could reinforce the Framework’s long-term vision.

6.2 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree to work together to improve data collection and dissemination on key early learning and child care information for children under age six.

7.0 Communications

7.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories agree on the importance of communicating with citizens about the objectives of this Agreement in an open, transparent, effective and proactive manner through appropriate public information activities.

7.2 Each government will receive the appropriate credit and visibility when investments financed through funds granted under this Agreement are announced to the public.

7.3 Canada reserves the right to conduct public communications, announcements, events, outreach and promotional activities about the Framework and bilateral agreements. Canada agrees to give the Northwest Territories 10 days advance notice of public communications related to the Framework, bilateral agreements, and results of the investments of this Agreement.

7.4 The Northwest Territories reserves the right to conduct public communications, announcements, events, outreach and promotional activities about the Framework and bilateral agreements. The Northwest Territories agrees to give Canada 10 days advance notice and advance copies of public communications related to the Framework, bilateral agreements, and results of the investments of this Agreement.

8.0 Dispute resolution

8.1 Canada and the Northwest Territories are committed to working together and avoiding disputes through government-to-government information exchange, advance notice, early consultation, and discussion, clarification, and resolution of issues, as they arise.

8.2 If at any time either Canada or the Northwest Territories is of the opinion that the other Party has failed to comply with any of its obligations or undertakings under this Agreement or is in breach of any term or condition of the Agreement, Canada or the Northwest Territories, as the case may be, may notify the other party in writing of the failure or breach. Upon such notice, Canada and the Northwest Territories will endeavour to resolve the issue in dispute bilaterally through their Designated Officials.

8.3 If a dispute cannot be resolved by Designated Officials, then the dispute will be referred to the Deputy Ministers of Canada and the Northwest Territories most responsible for early learning and child care, and if it cannot be resolved by them, then the respective federal Minister and territorial Minister shall endeavour to resolve the dispute.

9.0 Amendments to the agreement

9.1 This Agreement, including all attached annexes, except Annex 1, may be amended at any time by mutual consent of the Parties. To be valid, any amendments shall be in writing and signed, in the case of Canada, by the federal Minister, and in the case of the Northwest Territories, by the territorial Minister.

10.0 Equality of treatment

10.1 During the term of this Agreement, if another province or territory, except the province of Quebec, which is not part of the Framework, negotiates and enters into an Early Learning and Child Care Agreement with Canada, or negotiates and enters into an amendment to such an agreement and if, in the reasonable opinion of the Northwest Territories, any provision of that agreement or amended agreement is more favourable to that province or territory than terms set forth in this Agreement, Canada agrees to amend this Agreement in order to afford similar treatment to the Northwest Territories, if requested by the Northwest Territories. This includes any provision of the bilateral agreement except for the Financial Provisions set out under section 4.0. This amendment shall be retroactive to the date on which the Agreement or the amendment to such an Agreement with the other province or territory, as the case may be, comes into force.

10.2 Canada will make publicly available up-to-date Early Learning and Child Care Agreements entered into with all provinces and territories, including any amendments, by posting them on a Government of Canada website.

11.0 Termination

11.1 Canada may terminate this Agreement at any time if the terms of this Agreement are not respected by the Northwest Territories by giving at least 12 months written notice of its intention to terminate.

11.2 As the effective date of termination of this Agreement under section 11.1, Canada shall have no obligation to make any further payments to the Northwest Territories after the date of effective termination.

12.0 Notice

12.1 Any notice, information or document provided for under this Agreement will be effectively given if delivered or sent by letter, postage or other charges prepaid. Any notice that is delivered will have been received in delivery; and, except in periods of postal disruption, any notice mailed will be deemed to have been received eight calendar days after being mailed.

The address for notice or communication to Canada shall be:

The address for notice or communication to the Northwest Territories shall be:

13.0 General

13.1 This Agreement, including Annexes 1 and 2, comprise the entire agreement entered into by the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

13.2 This Agreement is based on the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, Annex 1, concluded on June 12, 2017.

13.3 This Agreement shall be interpreted according to the laws of Canada and the Northwest Territories.

13.4 No member of the House of Commons or of the Senate of Canada or of the Legislature of the Northwest Territories shall be admitted to any share or part of this Agreement, or to any benefit arising therefrom.

13.5 If for any reason a provision of this Agreement that is not a fundamental term is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be or to have become invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, it will be deemed to be severable and will be deleted from this Agreement, but all the other provisions of this Agreement will continue to be valid and enforceable.

13.6 The English and French versions of this Agreement, when signed, are equally authoritative.

Signed on behalf of Canada by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development at Gatineau this 13th day of November, 2020.

[Signed by] The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Signed on behalf of the Northwest Territories by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at Yellowknife this 13th day of January, 2021.

[Signed by] The Honourable R.J. Simpson, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment

Annex 1: Multilateral early learning and child care framework

Framework

Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers most responsible for Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) agree on the importance of supporting parents, families and communities in their efforts to ensure the best possible future for their children. For more details on this agreement, please consult the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework.

Annex 2: Northwest Territories Action Plan

The early years, from birth to age five, are among the most critical for a child’s development. These early years provide an essential opportunity to nurture and support the healthy, social, emotional, cognitive and physical development of young children. Research tells us that positive experiences in early childhood directly impact children’s chances to lead healthy, successful and balanced lives. This entails a critical responsibility for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) to take action and support families and children in their early years. There is a collective benefit in investing and supporting young children and their families. The global coronavirus-19 pandemic in 2020 has led to an increased need to financially support existing early learning and child care programs throughout the territory, as programs have either made a difficult decision to close due to lack of attendance or to continue to remain open to provide child care for community members, including essential workers during this unprecedented time.

Supports provided now will benefit future generations in the NWT, as these young children will grow to become healthy, productive and contributing citizens that are able to share their skills, talents and services.

From small, fly-in communities, to larger regional centres, each of the 33 vibrant communities within the Northwest Territories (NWT) has vastly differing early learning and child care needs. Home to eleven official languages, including Chipewyan, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tlicho, the people of the NWT represent multiple cultural belief systems and values. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, fulfilling early learning and child care needs in the NWT is based upon meeting individual community needs. It then becomes important to develop a plan that is both flexible and grounded within a common vision of supporting families with children from birth to five years of age in all NWT communities with high quality early learning and child care that is accessible, affordable and inclusive.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) supports all communities in their endeavors to provide a variety of early learning and child care programming that best meets their unique situation. For some communities, this means full-time licensed early learning and child care programs that are centre-based or family day homes; for others, the best way to support families with young children may be a part-time drop-in program offered several times per week. This Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan recognizes the individual needs of each community and offers flexible options to assist in meeting the early learning and child care needs unique to each community. Improving the accessibility of licensed child care that is tailored to community needs provides young children and their families with options to access high quality early learning and care environments and allows parents and caregivers to feel supported and confident that their children are safe, happy and thriving.

Early Learning and Child Care in the NWT: Indication of need

Positive early experiences have a huge impact on children’s chances to lead healthy, successful and balanced lives. The early years provide the most critical opportunity to take action and prevent negative experiences and circumstances from impacting children for the rest of their lives while promoting opportunities for quality early learning experiences that promote healthy child development.

Northern families

According to the NWT Bureau of Statistics, the total population of the NWT in 2016 was 44,469, with 22,013 (approximately 50%) identifying as Indigenous. Within these statistics, it must also be noted that each of the thirty-three communities within the NWT has very different realities. The population of Yellowknife in 2016 represented 47% of the entire NWT population, with 20,960 residents. This is in stark comparison to the other regional centres and small communities that comprise the majority of the territory, with the smallest community, Kakisa, having a population of less than 50 people.

In 2016, the NWT was home to 3,221 children aged four years and younger. Additionally, the NWT has a higher birth rate than the rest of Canada. In 2013, the NWT birth rate was 15.1 per 1000 people, compared to the Canadian average of 10.8 births per 1000 people.

Teen pregnancy continues to remain higher in the NWT than the Canadian rate, at 6.3 births per 100 females (aged 15-19) as compared to 3.1 births per 100 females (aged 15-19) in Canada.

Two parent families make up approximately 30% of private households and remain the most common family type in the NWT. Single parent households represent 11% of all families. There are an increasing number of blended families in the NWT where one or both partners bring children into their relationships.

What the data tells us

The NWT is comprised of 33 communities located within five regions (North Slave, South Slave, Sahtu, Dehcho and Beaufort Delta). Within these five regions, there are the five regional centres of Inuvik, Fort Smith, Hay River, Norman Wells and Fort Simpson and the remaining 28 communities are considered to be small communities in this context. However, when compared to other provinces and territories, most of the communities in the NWT would be considered small.

Statistics show that in many ways, children and families in the NWT are in greater need of equitable access to high quality early learning and child care when compared to other jurisdictional and national averages.

Relative to the rest of Canada, NWT children are more likely to be exposed to negative experiences and circumstances that impact their development. It is difficult to quantify the number of children growing up in circumstances that put them at risk. One measure may be the rate of women going to shelters. In the NWT, we have approximately five times the national average of women and children going to shelters. Another relative measure is the rate of police reported violent crime by an intimate partner. According to Statistics Canada, in 2015, there were 2,575 police reported violent crimes committed by an intimate partner per 1,000,000 people in the NWT, compared to 309 per 1,000,000 people in Canada.

Additionally, baseline data from the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a measure of children’s developmental health at school entry, found that 38% per cent of five-year old children in the NWT are vulnerable in the areas of social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive, communication and general knowledge and language development at school entry. EDI results also suggest that NWT children in small communities are vulnerable in their early years where the percentage of children behind in one or more areas of their development is as high as 53%. Since the baseline report was released, the “EDI Measuring Children’s Developmental Health NWT Change Over Time 2012-2017” report was published and indicates an increase in vulnerability for children in the NWT from 38% to 42%.

Small communities in the NWT have fewer options available for high quality programs, services and supports for children in the early years compared to what is available in the regional centers and Yellowknife. In fact, there are currently eleven communities in the NWT without access to any licensed early childhood programs.

Data provided from licensed early childhood program attendance records also provides insight into the utilization of these programs. Utilization data indicates that several communities experience low attendance rates for their licensed early childhood programs. Although many of these programs do not charge parent fees, there is a need to explore why parents are not accessing the programs. In contrast, some communities, such as Yellowknife, are in a situation where the population of children from birth to three years old significantly exceeds the licensed child care spaces available; thus, creating a high demand for licensed child care services.

Consultation

While evidence and research play a key role in shaping the GNWT’s actions, so too does the knowledge and insight of early childhood education stakeholders. Since late, the GNWT has engaged in public discussions on early childhood development, learning, and care through roundtable discussions, on-line surveys, webinars, home visits, regional meetings, focus groups, and sharing circles, parents, community members, Elders, early childhood professionals and other stakeholders have provide their thoughts and ideas for the future of childhood development in the NWT. Within the NWT context, stakeholders are always representative and include French and Indigenous participants.

Engagement with a wide range of people with an interest in early childhood development called upon the GNWT to create an integrated, sustainable, and affordable system of supports for young children and their parents. That system needs to be culturally sensitive and relevant, and delivered by a professional workforce of highly skilled and well-compensated early childhood staff. And finally, stakeholders advised that early childhood programs should focus particularly on meeting children’s emotional and social needs.

Right from the Start Framework and action plans

In 2013, the Departments of Health and Social Services (HSS) and ECE released a joint ten-year Framework for Early Childhood Development: Right from the Start (Right from the Start Framework). It is based on a comprehensive community engagement process that included parents and caregivers, Elders, early childhood experts and northern leaders.

Right from the Start: what has been achieved

Since the release of the Right from the Start Framework in 2013, the Department of ECE has completed a number of actions that assist with improving access to high quality early learning and child care opportunities throughout the NWT, including:

Vision for future directions

The GNWT recognizes that all children in the NWT deserve the best possible care, nurturing and support right from the start so that they can develop physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually and grow up to become healthy and productive members of their communities and society.

The Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework sets the foundation for governments to work toward a shared long term vision where all children can experience the enriching environment of quality early learning and child care that supports children’s development to reach their full potential. Guided by the Principles set under the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework, this three-year ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan, shows a commitment toward investments to increase quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity in early learning and child care, with consideration of those more in need. Additionally, the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework recognizes diversity and promotes early learning and child care systems that are respectful of language and culture, including the unique needs of French minority communities and Indigenous people.

Through the three-year ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan, the GNWT has identified the following areas of priority. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the NWT also recognizes the need for flexibility in responding to the evolving needs of existing early learning and child care programs:

  1. support for the delivery of high quality early learning and child care experiences
    One of the most significant elements affecting a child’s early development, after the home environment and relationship with parents, is the provision of high quality early learning and child care. Quality early childhood education and care programs positively impact children’s healthy development; allow for parents to return to the workforce who would not otherwise be able to work; and reduce social, special education and health care costs. Many of the actions within this updated ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan focus on fostering the development of high quality, culturally-relevant, early learning and child care environments.
  2. support culturally-relevant professional development and training for all staff working within licensed early learning and child care programs
    Well-trained early childhood educators are able to provide developmentally appropriate programing and care that respects diversity and values all children and families. The GNWT currently provides professional development and training support for staff working in licensed programs. This is a current area of focus for the Department of ECE. There is a greater need for more focused and regular professional development and training opportunities offered by the Department of ECE. Through this Bilateral Agreement the GNWT will further support professional development and training opportunities for staff working within licensed early learning and child care programs and will include innovative methods, such as the use of technology and focused on-the-job training, to compensate for the high costs associated with travel between northern communities and in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. This will also assist with participation of early childhood educators living in small communities, as it may be difficult for educators to leave their community to attend training without closing their program.
  3. increase the number of qualified early childhood educators in licensed early learning and child care programs
    High quality early childhood programs require well-trained and knowledgeable educators. Capacity in the early learning and child care workforce in the NWT varies widely. Some early childhood development staff have a one-year early childhood development certificate, with many having no post-secondary education whatsoever. This ELCC Bilateral Agreement supports actions that will assist with expanding initiatives, such as a Scholarship for students currently enrolled in a post-secondary program in early childhood development and supporting Aurora College to expand and redesign their diploma program in early learning and child care for residents of the NWT.
  4. support access to early learning and child care opportunities within all communities in the NWT, including access to licensed programming for parents working in essential positions during the COVID-19 pandemic
    The territorial implementation of Junior Kindergarten during the 2017-18 school year provides all parents of four year old children with an option to access high quality early learning program. Research shows that high quality early learning and child care programs positively impact children’s development and that these programs make the most difference for vulnerable children. Recognizing these benefits and the need to ensure all communities in the NWT can equitably benefit from high quality early learning and child care that meets the needs of their community. The Department of ECE is committed to supporting access to early learning and child care opportunities for programs that provide afterschool care, licensed early learning and child care programs that offer care for children from birth to three years old, as well as supporting the development of programs within communities that currently do not have access licensed early learning and child care programs. In 2020-2021, this also includes a particular focus providing access to early learning and child care for parents and caregivers who are working in essential positions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ELCC Action Plan for the Northwest Territories

The 2016 Federal Budget committed $400M in 2017-2018 to support the establishment of the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Framework with provinces and territories. Additionally, the 2017 Federal Budget committed $7B over 10 years, starting in 2018-19. A portion of this investment will be dedicated to improving access to culturally appropriate early learning and child care programs for all Indigenous children. The Indigenous ELCC Framework represents the Government of Canada and Indigenous peoples’ work to co-develop a transformative Indigenous framework that reflects the unique cultures, aspirations and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children across Canada. The notional allocation for the Northwest Territories over three years was $7,358,793. An additional $2,445,225 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1 2020 is included in this extended agreement. (actual allocations may vary according to the latest annual population estimates):

The NWT proposed to utilize the notional allocation from the Government of Canada toward investments in early learning and child care in two main areas; improving quality and access to early learning and child care in the NWT, with particular consideration for small communities, including those that are currently without any licensed early childhood programs, and parents and caregivers who are working in essential positions during the COVID-19 global pandemic. These areas of investment are aligned with the principles of quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity, as outlined within the Multilateral ELCC Framework. Indigenous children and Francophone communities will also be supported through the ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NWT’s ability to deliver on the initiatives outlined in the 2020-21 Action Plan may be affected. As such, the targets may not be achieved and expenditures may differ.

The notional allocation for the NWT for three years was $7,358,793, with an additional $2,445,225 for the Fiscal Year beginning on April 1 2020 and the 10% carryover amount allowable under this agreement, to be invested as follows, in accordance with the agreed upon carry over provisions:

Area of Focus: high quality
ELCC Action Plan: Area of Focus 2017-2018
Budget		 2018-2019
Budget		 2019-2020
Budget		 2020-2021
Budget		 Total
Professional Development & Training 120,191 517,801 538,551 476,000 1,653,543
Cultural Resource Development & Distribution 50,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 170,000
Postsecondary Learning Opportunities within the NWT 499,500 520,500 492,250 718,725 2,230,975
Scholarships 15,000 80,000 100,000 80,000 275,000
Health & Safety Funding 75,000 155,000 130,000 130,000 490,000
Provider Enhancement Grant 90,000 80,000 90,000 80,000 340,000

Area of Focus: accessibility
ELCC Action Plan: Area of Focus 2017-2018
Budget		 2018-2019
Budget		 2019-2020
Budget		 2020-2021
Budget		 Total
Community Connections 25,000 140,000 60,000 50,000 275,000
Centre-Based Program Funding 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 3,200,000
New Child Care Spaces 100,000 130,000 120,000 100,000 450,000
Administration Fees 240,000 240,000 240,000 244,500 964,500

Budgetary totals 2017-2018 to 2020-2021
2017-2018
Budget		 2018-2019
Budget		 2019-2020
Budget		 2020-2021
Budget		 Total
$2,014,691 $2,713,301 $2,630,801 $2,689,225 $10,049,018

It should be noted that the amounts shown each year in this table are not exactly the same as the notional amounts as this table reflects the anticipated carry forward as per the Bilateral Agreement.

The following is a discussion for each of the activities under the Areas of Focus

Area of Focus: high quality

High quality early learning and child care programs are grounded in culturally sensitive and current evidence-based practices that positively impact a child’s healthy development. Studies indicate that participation in high quality early childhood programs may be of particular benefit for children who are vulnerable and at-risk.

One way to foster high quality early learning and child care is to support the development of a qualified early childhood workforce. Through the Right from the Start Framework and subsequent action plans, the GNWT has committed to supporting the professional development of staff working within licensed centre-based early childhood programs, as well as promoting future workforce development by supporting students currently enrolled in early childhood programs.

Well-trained early childhood educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver high quality programs, make a significant difference in the development of children in their care. The NWT is home to approximately 220 staff working within licensed early childhood programs, with 40% of licensed centre-based programs located within regional centres and small communities. Many of the staff working within these licensed programs are from the local community, providing an invaluable connection, not only to the community, but also to its local culture and language.

Currently, a large proportion of staff working in licensed early childhood programs do not have formal post-secondary training in early childhood development. There are several challenges with pursuing post-secondary education when living and working in the NWT. Challenges of leaving the community, as well as with bandwidth issues when accessing distance studies, have historically been barriers to those wishing to seek post-secondary education opportunities. Although Aurora College offers a certificate program in early childhood development through distance studies, courses are offered on a rotating basis, which can lead to delays in program completion.

The ELCC Bilateral Agreement and NWT Action Plan will assist the GNWT to support the development of a qualified workforce within the NWT by providing current staff working within licensed early childhood programs that are centre-based with training and professional learning opportunities, as well as supports to encourage Northerners to pursue post-secondary education in the field of early childhood development.

The GNWT proposes to improve quality in licensed early learning and child care programs through the following actions:

Professional development and training

Through the funding made available in support of the Bilateral Agreement, the Department of ECE proposes to coordinate and provide consistent and on-going flexible training opportunities that are relevant to the unique settings of each licensed early childhood program. Considering potential geographical barriers and the need to practice physical distancing, professional development opportunities in 2020-2021 will be delivered in a variety of ways, which will focus on:

A key element involved with providing sustainable support and training options for early childhood educators working within licensed centre-based early learning and child care programs is to ensure that the department has staff dedicated to facilitating and overseeing these initiatives. The creation of two departmental early childhood positions within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment have been dedicated to facilitating staff training, including joint problem-solving and on-going mentorship and providing on-going support for staff working in licensed centre-based early learning and child care programs across the NWT. This requires staff that are able to travel to each of the 33 communities. As always in the NWT, professional development and training opportunities will be available in French and where possible in official Indigenous languages, recognizing the importance of providing quality ELCC services in an official language to respective language communities.

The cultural and geographical diversity of the NWT, as well as the current COVID-19 global pandemic, calls for innovative strategies to support the early learning and child care needs of communities. While some training has been possible prior to the Agreement, at a territorial level and on-request, ability to provide coordinated training was limited due to capacity issues. Coordinated and consistent training is essential to improve quality in licensed early childhood programs. Through this ELCC Bilateral Agreement, the Department of ECE has been able to develop a comprehensive professional development plan for early childhood educators working in licensed early childhood programs that are grounded in the varied cultures of the citizens of the NWT. To date, the training has included an NWT-wide early childhood symposium, as well as opportunities offered to interested early childhood educators that are related to general knowledge of early childhood development, physical literacy and outdoor play. There was also an opportunity offered specifically to operators of family day homes related to creating quality family day home environments.

The professional development and training opportunities will be available to all staff working within licensed early learning and child care programs in the NWT. All staff working in licensed early learning and child care programs who participate in the professional development and training would stand to benefit from this action, as would all of the children who are provided licensed care by those staff who participated. This initiative is expected to directly benefit as many as 220 staff working in licensed early childhood programs directly and indirectly benefiting 100% of children participating in the programs where staff participated in professional development and training work.

The total investment over three years was $1,176,543, with an additional $106,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Cultural resource development and distribution

As part of developing a quality early learning environment that is culturally responsive, the Department of ECE proposes to support distribution and professional development opportunities linked to cultural resources that have been developed through this Agreement. This includes children’s books and music in Indigenous languages.

As always in the NWT, resources will also be available and distributed in French to licensed centre-based early childhood programs in Francophone communities.

The cultural resources will be shared with all licensed centre-based programs in the NWT, with as many as 67 programs standing to benefit from this initiative. As many as 1,910 children participating in NWT licensed early childhood programs stand to benefit from this action.

The total investment over three years was$160,000, with an additional $10,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Post-secondary learning opportunities within the NWT

Aurora College provides northerners with options to pursue post-secondary education within the NWT. Prior to this Agreement, the Department of ECE funded Aurora College to deliver a part-time distance certificate program in Early Childhood Development which allows individuals in the 33 communities of the NWT, many of whom are already working in the early childhood field, to participate in a program of studies and make progress toward a credential.

Historically, the certificate program had some limitations, which included the part-time nature of distance studies, as well as the limited number of courses that could be offered each year. In addition to the distance program, with two years of single-year funding from its Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) partners in the NWT, the College was able to successfully offer the Certificate program face-to-face to a cohort of students in Inuvik in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The students in the two cohorts were drawn primarily from the Beaufort-Delta region.

ELCC funding from the Federal Government has supported Aurora College to successfully deliver a full-time face-to-face two-year diploma program in Early Childhood Care and Learning. Funding received from the ELCC Bilateral Agreement has supported the enhancement of an NWT-based Diploma program that addresses the cultural contexts of the NWT and is current in concept, curriculum and presentation in the field of early childhood care. ECE funding has continued to support the part-time Certificate delivery.

Students who completed the Certificate had the opportunity to complete a diploma year in Inuvik, NT using the first year of funding (2017-2018). This full-time delivery was the first time that a diploma year has been offered in the NWT. All students attending the Inuvik delivery were part of a cohort that previously completed the requirements of the face-to-face delivery of the Early Childhood Development Certificate sponsored by ASETS partners in Inuvik within the last two years.

The subsequent years (2018-2019 and 2019-2020) of funding have supported the delivery of a full-time face-to-face two-year diploma program in Yellowknife, with funding for 2020-2021 supporting the delivery for a second cohort of students. This diploma offered in Yellowknife was the first time there was a commitment to two years of education leading to a diploma credential. This funding has also supported the revision of curricula and updating of distance delivery programming to reflect the NWT’s context. In 2020-2021, Aurora College will deliver the two year diploma for a second time.

As many as 45 students stand to benefit from these program deliveries which will result in the potential of hiring staff with post-secondary education in early childhood with credentials that allow them to work in licensed programs throughout the NWT.

The total investment over three years was $1,512,250, with an additional $499,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Early Childhood Scholarships

Prior to this Agreement, ECE offered up to ten Early Childhood Scholarships to post-secondary students enrolled in full-time early childhood post-secondary programs at the diploma level or above. These scholarships were oversubscribed. The Department of ECE anticipated the demand to further increase with the expansion of offering a full-time post-secondary diploma program through Aurora College. ELCC funding has increased the number of scholarships offered to support students enrolled in early childhood education programs from ten up to a total of thirty annual scholarships.

As many as twenty additional students pursuing post-secondary education in early childhood development stand to benefit from this action annually (i.e., 80 scholarships awarded over four years).

The total investment over three years was $195,000, with an additional $80,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Health and safety funding

This fund assists existing licensed centre-based early childhood programs and family day homes with the cost of health and safety repairs and maintenance as directed by annual inspections. These repairs and maintenance must be completed in order to maintain a license to operate an early childhood program in the NWT and can prove to be a costly endeavor in the north. In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, there may be need to increase this funding to assist with covering costs associated with increased cleaning and disinfecting processes for licensed early learning and child care programs that continue to remain open during this unprecedented time.

Smaller communities have increased costs for shipping resources and materials required to meet health and safety requirements. In addition, there tends to be higher costs associated with hiring tradespeople to complete minor repairs/installations, for example, sprinkler systems. Prior to this Agreement, this type of funding was not provided by the GNWT. Health and safety funding will assist licensed centre-based early childhood programs in meeting licensing requirements in order to remain open while maintaining a safe and quality environment.

This funding will be based on demand and 100% of licensed programs that require these repairs and maintenance will receive funding for up to $10,000 per program. Up to 34 licensed early learning and child care programs serving up to 556 children could benefit from this funding over four years.

The total investment over three years was $360,000, with an additional $130,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Provider Enhancement Grant

The Provider Enhancement Grant (PEG) has assisted licensed early learning and child care centre-based programs to purchase or replace equipment, such as high chairs, car seats, playground equipment, furniture and other learning materials that support quality play-based environments. The GNWT currently provides the ECP subsidy to assist with offsetting operational costs for licensed early childhood programs. It is important to note that operational costs in the NWT are often higher than in other areas of Canada. This is due to the higher costs of utilities, food and shipping materials in the North. The ECP subsidy does not provide licensed programs with funding to replace equipment and other materials. As all licensed centre-based early learning and child care programs operate as non-profit organizations, purchasing and replacing these materials are a difficult endeavor. Since quality materials are an important aspect of a quality early childhood environment, all licensed centre-based early childhood programs, which in the NWT always include programs that service Indigenous children and Francophone communities, have the option to apply to receive this funding as a grant. This will assist licensed centre-based programs with replacement of quality equipment without increasing fees to parents.

This funding will be based on demand and 100% of licensed centre-based early childhood programs that are approved for the PEG will benefit from this action. Up to 67 licensed childcare centres serving up 1,510 children could benefit from this funding over four years. As with other areas of funding, there may be a need for flexibility with this budget item to support the GNWT’s response to COVID-19.

The total investment over three years was $260,000, with an additional $80,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Area of focus: accessibility

As of September 2017, the NWT has 110 licensed early childhood programs with a total of 1,150 potential child care spaces available for children from birth to five years old. An additional 644 out-of-school spaces provide afterschool care programs for children five to eleven years old. This plan will support out of school spaces for four and five year old children and the department will be able to report on the number of four and five year olds benefiting from this starting in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. However, since the introduction of Junior Kindergarten programs increased the need to expand the current out-of-school care program to include four year old children, some initiatives designed to benefit four and five year olds may incidentally benefit older children.

The tables below show the availability of licensed early learning and child programs by space type and region at the beginning of the Agreement and Action Plan.

Number of licensed programs
Region Centre Out of school Family Day Home Preschool Total
Beaufort Delta 6 2 3 3 14
Deh Cho 2 1 0 2 5
North Slave 8 17 35 7 67
Sahtu 1 0 0 2 3
South Slave 2 1 13 5 21
Total 19 21 51 19 110

Data valid as of October 24, 2017


Number of child spaces
Region Infant Preschool Out of school Total
Beaufort Delta 59 183 122 364
Deh Cho 22 50 30 102
North Slave 148 422 438 1008
Sahtu 8 51 0 59
South Slave 33 174 54 261
Total 270 880 644 1,794

Data valid as of October 24, 2017

Based on the 2016 population estimates from the NWT Bureau of Statistics, the population of children aged birth to five years old in the NWT is approximately 3905. A total of 1103 students are enrolled in JK and K for the 2017-18 school year; however, it should be noted, that JK and K are provided as optional programs for parents, therefore not all four and five year old children will be included in these calculations. It is also at the discretion of local education authorities whether to offer JK and K as a full or half-day program and this total includes both full and half-day programming.

The focus on improving access to early learning and child care not only includes supporting the development of new child care spaces, but also supporting actions to enable current licensed early childhood programs that are centre-based to increase utilization rates and improve access to child care in underserved communities. A particular area of attention will be upon the communities that currently do not have access to any licensed early childhood programs.

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic there is an immediate need to support the on-going and future sustainability of licensed early learning and child care programs that may have closed as a result of low attendance or are experiencing increased costs due to additional health and safety requirements to remain open.

The GNWT proposes to improve the accessibility of licensed early learning and child care programs through the following actions:

Community connections

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, existing early learning and child care programs located within small communities in the NWT are experiencing an increased need for funding to support the future sustainability of their programs. As a result of low attendance, resulting from few essential workers living within some of the smaller communities, licensed early learning and child care programs in some communities have made the difficult decision to close. These early learning and child care programs may require additional funding to be able to re-open.

Another intention of this funding is to assist with identifying early learning and child care needs in communities that do not have licensed early learning and child care. ECE will engage with communities to identify gaps and opportunities for early learning and child care options, assist with raising awareness and knowledge of the importance of early childhood development and support communities with improving the accessibility of early learning and child care programs that best meet the needs of their community. There is a particular need to focus upon the communities that currently have no licensed early learning and child care programs. ECE will continue to connect with communities with the intention of building relationships with community members and showcasing the importance of early childhood development with the intention of supporting communities to implement licensed child care programs that meet their needs. Rather than a one-size fits all approach to early learning and child care, licensed early learning and child care programs are delivered in a variety of settings in the NWT, including:

The Department of ECE anticipates engagement with all eleven communities that currently do not have licensed early learning and child care programs and, based on the demand resulting from this engagement; assist 100% of those communities requesting to access ELCC programs or funding. Those communities that identify a need for licensed childcare programming will have access to the funding, potentially resulting in the creation of up to 24 new child care spaces.

The total investment over three years was $225,000, with an additional $50,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Centre-based program funding

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, early learning and child care programs in the NWT are experiencing an increased need for funding to support the ongoing and future sustainability of programming. As a result of low attendance, many programs have made the difficult decision to close, while others have continued to operate under the guidance of the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer.

Centre-based programs with out-of-school spaces

With the implementation of JK, there was an increased need for out-of-school care, including before and after school care, as well as care during teacher professional development days. Additionally, the introduction of the Strengthening Teacher Instructional Practice (STIP) initiative, which allows Education Authorities the option to direct up to 100 hours to teacher planning, assessment, collaborative practice, and ongoing professional development increased the need for child care, especially for four and five year old children in schools.

Increasing funding for licensed centre-based early learning and child care programs supports the sustainability of current programs, as well as offer more parents an option to access out-of-school care, including before or after school care and increased access to full-day care during professional development days for children aged four and five. For some programs, the ability to receive increased funding allows them to address staff shortages and support program stability. Although this funding is targeted to children aged four and five, children six-eleven years old attending out-of-school programs may also incidentally benefit. Funding increases include:

This initiative is expected to benefit as many as 32 licensed early childhood programs that will support the sustainability of current programs and offer more parents an option to access out-of-school care with up to 862 spaces.

Centre-based programs with preschool spaces

In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, there is an immediate need to increase the funding for all licensed early learning and child care programs in the NWT.

In October 2016, the Department of ECE implemented increases to the daily operations subsidy rates for licensed early learning and child care programs. A larger proportion of the increase was dedicated to infant rates. Providing increased ECP funding rates for preschool spaces, for children aged two to five, in centre-based programs may incent the creation of new spaces, and will support existing spaces. Increasing attendance-based funding for centre-based early childhood programs that offer preschool spaces provides stability for existing programs as well as new programs in opening. The ECP Operating Subsidy assists operators of licensed early learning and child care programs in the NWT with maintaining quality environments and contributes to the financial viability and sustainability of these programs. The rate enhancement will be used to pay for operational and maintenance costs, including staffing, rent, and utilities which helps provide stability to licensed early learning and child care programs.

This initiative is expected to benefit as many as 37 licensed early learning and child care centre-based programs by supporting the sustainability of current programs and offering more parents an option for access to care for preschool age children.

The total investment for Out-of-School and Preschool Spaces over three years was $2,400,000, with an additional $800,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

New child care spaces

This fund has been established to incent the creation of new licensed child care spaces in the NWT. It is difficult to predict whether this budget will be expended in the current fiscal year; the budget may be required to support other actions.

All new programs are eligible and the communities without licensed early childhood programs would be able to access this funding. This application-based funding will assist with the creation of new licensed centre-based programs and family day homes by providing additional funding for the purchase of supplies, material and other costs incurred when setting up a new licensed program. This funding will also be available to programs who wish to re-profile spaces (i.e., preschool to infant, based on community need).

The funding will be based on demand and 100% of operators approved for funding stand to benefit from this action with the potential creation of up to 100 new child care spaces.

The total investment over three years was $350,000, with an additional $100,000 for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Incremental funding

As of 2019-2020, the Department of ECE’s current overall territorial spending in the area of Early Childhood Development is $8.9 million. The federal funds provided under this ELCC Bilateral Agreement will not displace current spending by the GNWT on early learning and child care. Funds received under the ELCC Framework will go towards creating, expanding and supplementing supports for early childhood education in the Northwest Territories.

NWT indicators (to be reported annually)

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Professional development and training
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number and proportion of providers participating in professional development and/or training No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Quality Number and proportion of providers adopting innovative new tools No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Cultural resource development and distribution
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number and proportion of providers adopting innovative new tools No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Quality Number of children participating in NWT licensed early childhood programs that have access to culturally appropriate ELCC resources No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Post-secondary learning opportunities within the NWT
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number and proportion of licensed early childhood centre staff with postsecondary Early Childhood Education No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Quality Number of individuals who completed the post-secondary Early Childhood diploma offered in the NWT No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Early Childhood Scholarships
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number and proportion of licensed early childhood centre staff with Early Childhood Education No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Quality Number of scholarships awarded Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Health and safety funding
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number of licensed child care programs/spaces who accessed Federal Health and Safety funding Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Provider Enhancement Grant (PEG)
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Quality Number of licensed child care programs/spaces who accessed PEG Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Community connections
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Accessibility Number and percentage of children who have access to licensed child care spaces and/or early learning programs No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number of licensed early childhood programs No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Centre-based Programs with Out-of-school Spaces
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Accessibility Number of licensed child care out-of-school spaces for 4 and 5 year old children No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number of out-of-school programs receiving additional funding to support children with identified specific needs No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number of flexible early learning and child care arrangements for harder-to-serve population of children No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Centre-based Programs with Preschool Spaces
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Accessibility Number of children benefiting from program and/or number of programs designed to serve children from diverse populations, which includes but is not limited to children from French linguistic minority communities No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number and percentage of children who have access to licensed child care spaces and/or early learning programs No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number of additional licensed child care preschool spaces created No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Table: NWT indicator – Objective: Federal Funding for New Child Care Spaces
Principle supported Indicator(s) Data currently available Annual Report
year 1		 Annual Report
year 2		 Annual Report
year 3		 Annual Report
year 4
Accessibility Number of new licensed programs that have accessed Federal Funding for New Child Care Spaces No TBD Yes Yes Yes
Accessibility Number of additional licensed child care preschool spaces created over the life of the agreement No TBD Yes Yes Yes

Targets

Below are the targets for the key indicators related to planned investments. Targets for the rest of the indicators are under development, including leveraging existing data and developing new data collection needs.

References

Government of the Northwest Territories (2013). Right from the Start: A Framework for Early Childhood Development in the NWT.
https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/sites/www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/resources/ecd_framework_and_action_plan.pdf

Government of the Northwest Territories (2017). Right from the Start: Early Childhood Development Action Plan 2017-20.
https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/sites/www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/resources/ecd_action_plan_2017-20_-_june_2017.pdf

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